


hope the encore lasts forever

by cryystal_m00n



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: (hes wrong obvs), Babysitting, Domestic, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Pining, Sexual Tension, Single Parents, a touch of stripper au, all around just ten being dumb and trying to convince himself he doesn't like the babysitter, johnny is like a big dog. just kinda happy to be included and giving ten space, lil bit of a sick fic, seulgi is the real mvp in this one, unwanted boners
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:07:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28358268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryystal_m00n/pseuds/cryystal_m00n
Summary: jaehyun always told him that he worried too much about donghyuck, that his dad instincts were too powerful and they overtook the logical side of him. of course he would worry about his five year old son, the light of his life, his baby angel who deserved only happiness and sunflower stickers and whatever else his heart desired.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 118





	hope the encore lasts forever

**Author's Note:**

> all i can say is that i will probably write single parents falling in love for the rest of my life because it's the only thing that really gives me a dose of happiness and this, combined with johnten? ugh just got my dose of serotonin for the next year. this fic was originally started back in 2019? i think and i gave up on it after like 500 words. but with all the johnten soulmates content we got this year i just had to finish it. it's kinda messy and more or less an excuse to write ten being in love with clifford the big red dog but hey, at least it's done! i hope you get to enjoy it! 
> 
> title is from pluto projector from rex orange county!

jaehyun always told him that he worried too much about donghyuck, that his dad instincts were too powerful and they overtook the logical side of him. he thought that jaehyun was on crack whenever he said stuff like that. of course he would worry about his five year old son, the light of his life, his baby angel who deserved only happiness and sunflower stickers and whatever else his heart desired.

okay, jaehyun might have had a point, but it wasn’t his fault that his baby seemed to attract problems. from his almost nonexistent immune system, to the countless allergies he developed due to that, to him not being the most socially skilled boy out there, one could say donghyuck just wasn’t blessed. of course ten wanted to protect him, and he would be damned if it might have seemed too much… even if it meant jumping from nanny to nanny because _none_ of them knew how to actually take care of hyuck or wrapping him up in bubble wrap and sticking foam peanuts to his body.

nanny wise, all that ten wanted was someone who he could trust, someone that he knew would not end up in the hospital with his child. bubble wrap wise, the man was still looking for whatever the government used to ship their illegal contraband.

“you know,” taeyong started as he pushed away the plate of cake he had been eating from, “i have a friend who might be up for the job.”

ten raised an eyebrow at that, putting his tea down. “is he one of your stripper friends?”

taeyong nodded enthusiastically and took his phone out to show ten a few photos of said friend. truth be told, the guy was gorgeous, but the photo that caught his attention was of him draped across taeyong’s shoulders, both of them with rosy cheeks.

the man’s eyes were half-lidded, almost as if he were to either fall asleep or fuck whoever was on the other side of the phone. but despite the glassy look in them, he wore the biggest and brightest smile. it reminded ten of hyuck’s grin when he got what he wanted.

his blond hair was falling over his forehead, some of the longer strands curling nicely around his neck, and even with the sheer layer of sweat, ten could tell that it was very soft. his black shirt was falling down his shoulder and ten was sure he could see a hickey.

he gave taeyong the phone back, taking another sip from his drink. “so, is he actually qualified? or am i gonna have to fire him after a day as well?”

the elder rolled his eyes. “he’s great, tennie! he has a niece that he takes care of, he’s ‘qualified’!”

just then jaehyun came back to their table, setting donghyuck down next to his father. he took a seat next to taeyong and nuzzled his shoulder. “are you guys talking about john?” taeyong hums, one hand beginning to absentmindedly brush his husband’s brown hair. god, they were so gross when they acted like a couple who was going strong into their honeymoon phase. ten loved it.

“what kind of name is john?” ten asked aloud,in an attempt to break the two apart and focus their attention back on the more important matter.

“a _very_ cool one, appa!” hyuck protested, stopping for just a moment from stuffing his face with his blueberry cake. he stuck his tongue out at ten before going right back to murdering the poor dessert. ten lifted his arms up in surrender, but that didn't stop hyuck from glaring at him. “i wanna be named…” he stroked his imaginary beard, “stan!”

“he’s already tainting my son with his colonized name,” ten groaned.

at the same time, jaehyun raised an eyebrow and gasped, “don’t let him watch south park, ten! that sh—stuff’s for big people!”

“i am plenty big, hyung!” hyuck pouted, making the three adults coo at him.

“so?” taeyong asked, turning his attention back to ten. “shall i tell johnny to contact you?”

he sighed, standing up to go and order another green tea. “yea, i mean how bad can it be?”

he really jinxed himself there.

* * *

meeting johnny… was something else; another type of experience that ten wished he wouldn’t have to go through again anytime soon. from the moment he walked into ten’s apartment, hair pulled in a low ponytail, wearing the softest looking sweater and an even softer smile, ten knew that this was bound to either end really badly or with one of them naked while hyuck took his nap. he was expecting a sexy man, sure, johnny was a stripper, of course he would be hot, but ten was _not_ prepared to have a meeting with a literal adonis when he didn’t even brush his hair yet.

to put it simply, his son’s new babysitter was way too hot and ten was way too worked up and horny for his own good. not a good combo.

hyuck, who was coloring in his princess book before johnny arrived, looked up, eyes full of interest. he threw it away in favor of running to the door to see who this new person was. thanos, their lazy dog who liked to guard donghyuck even when asleep, rose from his bed and gingerly followed the child, as if he wasn’t snoring just mere seconds ago.

“so you’re john, huh?” ten says coolly as he eyes the man in front of him. _good,_ _very nice_ , ten pats himself on the back-- in his head, obviously, he’s not a weirdo.

“johnny.”

“sure you are, johnjohn!”

johnny rolled his eyes (was that _fondness_ ten saw?!) and squatted, so that he reached donghyuck’s height. _oh lord and everything holy above,_ ten thought, _he’s so tall_. “you must be the cutest boy i’ve ever seen!” he booped hyuck’s nose, like… actually booped it, tiny _boop_ sound and all, making the child giggle. ten was… surprised to say the least. his son wasn’t one to let others touch him this fast. johnny looked back up at ten, a subtle smirk tugging at his lips. “and _you_ , must be his dad.”

ten nodded, bewildered. “t-ten,” he managed to stutter out, face heating up. he was _not_ blushing because of a stupid smirk.

the boy held his tiny hand out, thrusting it into johnny’s face. “i’m hyuck!” he proudly declared, “and i’m five!” he shook his hand, almost poking the man’s eye. “see? i have five fingers! that means i am five!”

johnny hummed and shook the child’s hand. “but hyuck, you have ten fingers. twenty, if we count your toes as well!”

donghyuck turned to face ten wearing the most serious expression a toddler could muster, and said, “appa, i’m twenty.”

ten pretended to tear up. “guess my baby doesn’t need his froggy pajamas anymore,” he said with a long sigh, “maybe injunnie will like them…”

“no!” hyuck screamed, so loud that it actually startled johnny. he ran to his room and shut the door loudly.

ten looked after his son, a smile blooming on his face. he couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to have donghyuck in his life, to be able to watch and help him grow. god, he was getting soft over his baby again, that couldn’t happen while johnny was there. he focused his attention back on the taller man, still kneeling in front of him. _that’s hot_. ten almost hit himself as soon as he thought that.

he didn’t look uncomfortable, nor did he look like hyuck’s screaming hurt his ears, so honestly, ten considered it a win.

“so, ten,” he began, “i’m obviously qualified for the job. when can i start?”

thanos, that adorable little traitor, jumped -- _actually jumped_ \-- straight in johnny’s arms, making him fall on his butt. his smile didn’t falter, instead, it softened. johnny’s hands reach to pet the dog, babbling to him in foreign languages. ten could hear the obvious konglish, but he was sure he picked up a few chinese words and even some in japanese. _multilingual… fuck, he’s getting hotter and hotter_.

“you’ve already started when you managed to let hyuckie touch you.”

johnny smiled down at him, before standing up, thanos still held close to his chest. “i didn’t do anything, ten. that’s just my charm you know,” he said with a wink.

ignoring the blush spreading across his cheeks, he moved aside and let johnny properly step inside. he really let a demon in his home... ten can’t say it’s the first time it happened, not when yangyang and co spend most of their days lounging in his living room.

the only difference between johnny and his demon, money sucking friends was that ten was ready to get on his knees just to keep this hunk of a man in his house.

ten was in for a lot of fun, he could already sense it.

* * *

johnny had been in his life for less than two weeks and ten was already down to marry him --in a platonic way, of course-- if it meant keeping the man in it. he was perfect, in a totally, unimaginably _no homo_ way. he cooked, he sometimes cleaned, he took thanos for _walks_ without having to bribe him with cheese sticks, he made sure hyuck was warm and happy and entertained and most importantly, he made ten _tea_ when he came home from work. perfectly brewed tea.

ten was in-no-homo-love with the man… that was fine, he’d been in love platonically with a lot of his friends! even with seulgi, when they both thought there was still a slimmer of straightness in them! he loved her and he was still grateful for her, and everything she gave him --especially donghyuck-- but with seulgi and his friends it was easier to categorize the feelings as strictly platonic with a touch of sexual tension. with johnny… who was he kidding?

he was falling hard and pathetically in love with each and every soft smile they exchanged. it _didn’t_ help that donghyuck seemed to stick to johnny’s side more than he ever did with ten. his own son… betraying him because johnny was almost like a giant soft teddy bear… it hurt… he wanted to cuddle them too!

but, for now, in true ten fashion, he decided to ignore everything and anything he felt towards johnny.

what was the worst it could happen anyway?

* * *

working in the fashion industry had always been tiring; models running around him at fashion shows, photographers critiquing his work because it didn’t match their visions, his partners complaining about the clothes he made, nights spent at the studio to finish his projects. even when he was just starting up as a no-name designer, barely selling any of his works.

and that meant not spending enough time with donghyuck and having moments of seeing his baby grow stolen from him. donghyuck never whined about how little time his father spent with him, but it still broke ten’s heart to find his son fast asleep anytime he came back home at an ungodly hour, taeyong or kun passed out on his couch with toys surrounding them.

johnny noticed the lack of time spent home, especially during the weekdays, rather fast. it only took him a month before he sat down with ten, a _disappointed father_ expression written on his face.

“you’ve been coming home later and later every day, ten,” he said, fixing the man with a tired look, “why is that?”

oh _boy,_ ten felt like he was back in therapy. next thing on the list would be opening up about his father and the trauma he inflicted on ten. he didn’t want to tell his son’s babysitter about the problems he’d ran into with the piece he’d been working on. he would rather keep his failures and mistakes to himself and drown in the sadness on his own. johnny hummed, not bothered by the sudden silence coming from the man in front of him.

“i just have stuff to finish at the studio,” ten muttered, pulling on his lip to ease the anxieties building in his chest. “i know i should try to get home early to put hyuckie to sleep and let you go to your other job, but it’s… really taking a toll on me right now…”

johnny’s features softened immediately, a look of concern appearing in his eyes. “oh, no tenni-- ten-- i wasn’t calling you out on your parental strategies. i was legitimately worried. you don’t have a secret lover with whom you’re spending your nights, right,” the man tried to loosen the already tense atmosphere, laughing nervously at his own bad attempt. “look, i don’t mind staying over more, i’m not even gonna ask you for a raise or something, i just want to know if there is anything i can help you with.” johnny scratched the back of his neck, “would you like me to cook more so that you don’t have to worry about it?”

_can you get even more perfect sir? i’m trying to live over here!_

“n-nah, it’s cool.” he tried to give johnny a reassuring smile, but his face felt like it was trying to do a cirque du soleil act, so he doubted it looked anything but like a grimace. “don’t worry, i’ll be done with the project soon.”

johnny frowned, resting his chin on his hand while looking straight into ten’s soul. _craaaaap,_ he knew he was lying! just like his old therapist.

“how about you bring whatever you’re working on home? that way you can still be close with hyuck even if you barricade yourself in your room.”

“i don’t know, johnjohn… i like to keep my work and family separated.” ten sighed. this wasn’t fun anymore, johnny was actually trying to _help_ him. “‘sides, i don’t really have a place where i could work…”

“how about the guest’s bedroom? we could remake it into a small office.” _we_ , not _you_ , but the plural form of the first person pronoun… as the queen nicki minaj once said… _we_. oh god, they’re soooo gonna get married. ten couldn’t handle it, his brain was going into overdrive.

he shouldn’t accept this! he had to keep the room for when jaehyung got too drunk and taeyong couldn’t carry him back home and for when kun and sicheng just crashed in his bed. he _couldn’t_ agree to changing a whole bedroom just for him to stay home more.

“sure!”

 _fuuuuck_ , he was such a disaster gay.

* * *

“you’re such a cottagecore whore, it’s not even funny anymore.”

“taeyong, listen to me! i didn’t want to accept his suggestion! my brain did without asking me first!”

“yeah, yeah, whatever you say, tennie. just… don’t buy too much shit at ikea, you already have enough _rustic_ bowls you don’t even use.”

“fuck you. and for your information, it’s not cottagecore if i live in seoul and inhale dust every time i go outside. it’s… consumeristcore.”

“cottage, consumerist, tomato, tomayto. you just wanna go furniture shopping with johnny and hyuckie and pretend you’re a family, don’t even try to deny it.”

“touche…”

“you did _not_ just pronounce touché as toush.”

“gotta go, yongie! thanos wants to go out!”

“you fucker--”

* * *

have ikeas always been that big or did ten just forget all the ground space the swedish gods stole for their stupid store? he could swear they were smaller; at least he remembered them to be more… compact, though he hadn’t stepped into one in years.

johnny didn’t look as impressed, but for all that’s worth, the man did look like someone who would go to ikea just to mess around. donghyuck pulled on their hands, whining about how he wanted to check out the plushies first. the boy had taken to holding hands with both of them whenever they went out together, though ten understood the sudden change. he too would like to have people lift him up whenever he started dragging his feet.

the two adults exchanged a look --fond, so, _so_ fond-- and began to walk towards the giant baskets of plushies laid all around. he had to admit, the strategy of leaving toys all around for kids to grab when their parents weren’t looking was smart.

though ten had no idea where exactly they were supposed to head to, he still led the way. how hard could it even be to find a desk, some shelves and a few cabinets? the swedish hell wouldn’t catch him slipping just yet!

“uh, tennie?” said man turned towards johnny (he stopped blushing at the name after the hundredth time johnny let it slip out) and cocked his head to the side. he _dared_ the taller to comment on his strategy of blindly going around the store. “the office furniture is the other way…”

“who says so? you? if so, who are you, huh? diplomat of ikea? i don’t think so, johnjohn! the office furniture is _that_ way.” fine, maybe it was a petty response, but he’d sooner fight johnny and his stupid big muscles than admit defeat.

to his surprise, johnny chuckled. “the signs above, darling.” ten’s brain promptly froze. d-d-d-darling. an endearment… a pet name… his son’s nanny… just called him, _him,_ darling… his cheeks were flaming red weren’t they? oh no, this was how he would die! killed by johnny suh, babysitter extraordinaire by day, probably killer stripper by night… not the death he wanted, but maybe the one he deserved.

“appa?” he distantly heard donghyuck call for him. did he just zone out? “ _appaaaaaaaaaa_ ,” his son drawled on, tugging on his hand to make the man pay attention to him. “can we listen to johnny-hyung? he knows better than you.”

ten gasped, hand flying over his chest as if that could protect his already broken heart. “how mean! to think you’d betray your own father!” those little traitors had the audacity to _laugh_ at his misery! that was it, ten was going to stay right there while they went on with their little shopping adventure! he was going to sulk and be a brat and neither of them could do anything to make him feel better.

“oh come on, he’s clearly more… well oriented than you are in the grand scheme of things,” johnny winked at him, “you’re just… a stereotypical gay who can’t drive.” he even had the guts to shrug all innocently at ten after _slandering_ him! like a cute (evil) dog when it got caught pissing on the couch! what the _fuck_ was going on there on that holy day?

"i… hate you."

johnny laughed, lifting his hand to ruffle ten's carefully styled hair. "let's go find what we need, alright? after that we can go eat."

in response, like the petty king he was, ten huffed and ignored johnny's pretty smile. he could not, however, bring himself to ignore hyuck's adorable little grin.

"you're lucky hyuckie likes you so much, otherwise i would've thrown you to thanos."

again, the taller man only chuckled fondly. his hand was still on ten's head -- _when_ was he going to take it off? ten was _this_ close to kicking him in the balls just to hide his blushing face-- so he pulled on the younger's locks once, only to _not_ take his hand away.

they were getting closer and closer to sexual tension land and ten wasn't ready to go through something like that, not when his son was holding onto his leg, begging ten to pick him up.

ten coughed and looked away. "let's just… go find the stupid furniture…"

"that's what i just said, tennie."

"can we _go_ already?" donghyuck asked, breaking the moment. thank goodness his son began to speak his mind even more after meeting johnny.

johnny picked the boy up, giving him a loud kiss on the cheek. donghyuck pretended to hate it and tried to push the man away, but they all knew he loved the attention.

"of course, your highness! let's see if we can find your appa a nice desk where he can doze off!"

"like a kitty cat!" donghyuck gasped.

johnny booped the boy's nose, "exactly!" he said, before they were both turning to beam at ten.

in a moment of weakness, ten merely nodded and went along with their shenanigans, trailing after johnny so that the man wouldn't see him smiling. he was an idiot, sure, but at least he was an idiot in love! well, not _love_ -love, just... platonic… appreciation… for the man who made his son smile and who made him breakfast whenever he came in early. nothing… else…

the whole ignoring his feelings tactic was going _great_! ten out of ten, pun _included_.

twenty minutes later and they were still trying to figure out where exactly the desks were located. sure, ten wasn’t really trying his best, he was more keen on checking everything they passed by, but even so, johnny’s big brain moment was long gone.

“why don’t we just give up and order them online?” ten asked, making the taller stop and stare at him.

“ _what_?” he gasped, which donghyuck quickly copied, so that now ten had two scandalized puppies looking at him. he wanted to take some pics _so badly_. “ten, do you have _any_ idea what you just suggested?”

“us getting home sooner, yes.”

“no! it means giving up!”

“i… really don’t see your point, johnjohn… are you sure you’re not just keeping us here so that we can get stuck in the store when they close it and just have a sleepover at ikea?” he said it as a joke, but with the way johnny started blushing and sputtering mindlessly… was johnny trying to kidnap him and his son? was he a swedish furniture god? oh lord, _that_ was why ten didn’t want to fall in love again! men just _knew_ how to disappoint him!

seeing ten’s worried expression, johnny laughed and reached to grab his hand. ten let him, not knowing what else to do when someone as handsome as johnny actually wanted to hold hands with him. “i’m joking, tennie. i just think we should actually see how big the furniture is so that it fits perfectly. you got the measurements like i told you to, right?”

ten blanched at the words. of course he had forgotten the most important thing when it came to buying furniture. johnny laughed again, that bastard, and squeezed ten’s hand. “don’t worry, we’ll figure something out! we always do, right, hyuckie?” the boy giggled and tried to nod as johnny booped his nose.

“yeah… i guess we do…”

with the newfound confidence, johnny managed to lead them to the sacred office portion of the store, and five minutes later, ten was deciding on a simple, black desk and matching shelves and cupboards. johnny, though disappointed about the lack of thought put into picking the pieces out, did not make any comments, for which ten was grateful. he was no longer excited about the whole cottagecore vibes this totally not date had. he wanted some meatballs and to go home.

near the checkout, after they passed through the giant dungeon of death and tightly packed wood, and after having picked their desired purchases, johnny began to yell after ten, “hey, hey, hey ten, hey, hey.”

“what?” he yelled back, not stopping from pushing the cart. if whatever johnny wanted to say was important, he would catch up with ten, stupid long legs advantage and all.

and true to his assumptions, not even a moment later, johnny was next to him, donghyuck still in his arms, fast asleep. “look!” he said, holding his hand up to show the younger what he found, “it’s us!” and lo and behold, in front of ten’s eyes were four matching cups; three with a dog pattern, and one lonely tabby patterned cup. ten wanted to kiss the man right in front of his sleeping baby.

was this a marriage proposal? were they a lesbian couple who pined after each other in the most obvious way possible and got married without realizing it? or were they the other lesbian couple on the binary, who got married after two months of knowing each other?

“i’ll get them and keep them at your house!” johnny exclaimed, mindful of hyuck. “even though thanos can’t really use it… eh, you can just pretend to be part of the puppy group with the cool kids!”

and thus ten ended up with a puppy cup on his new working desk.

* * *

everything about johnny was infuriating. that might have been a dramatic exaggeration, but in almost every single single aspect, having johnny around was just… so infuriatingly annoying! first, ten was anything but connected with his logical side when the man was in close proximity. second, the more time they spent together, the more his brain could no longer provide him with _normal_ , socially acceptable explanations for all the domestic shit they do!

ten didn’t sleep the night before due to the projects needing to be finished, johnny would always make sure to have donghyuck be quiet so that ten’s migraines wouldn’t get worse. johnny could barely keep his son entertained because of back pain? ten was ready to have hyuck help him in his office while johnny slept. in ten’s bed.

( _it’s because he’s so damn tall! my couch isn’t made for long people, yong!_

_whatever you say, tennie.)_

and it wasn’t just small displays of caring about each other’s well-being, something that any employee-employer duo had going on (here, taeyong argued that most employers didn’t give a flying shit if their employee was tired from their stripper job, but like always, ten chose to ignore his best friend). no, there was actual domesticity going on. like, falling asleep while cuddling donghyuck on the couch kind, or remembering to buy the very specific brand of coffee johnny liked despite hating the smell of it, or worse… touches. a hand on his shoulder, fingers brushing, mindless hugs when having to reach for something around one another… johnny pushing ten’s hair out of his eyes… ten playing with the older’s rings when they cuddle…

it wasn’t normal, ten knew, but he couldn’t stop. johnny was like his own source of free dopamine! he couldn’t just ignore him or not touch him or not buy him pastries when he went shopping.

johnny was an amazing babysitter and if ten were to fire him, he would have to look for a new one, who donghyuck might not even like. so really, this was more of a necessity, clearly not tied to the way his heart picked up whenever he would catch himself staring at johnny’s lips.

it was all for donghyuck’s happiness and his safety and maybe because ten was a selfish prick who enjoyed johnny’s tea ~~and cuddles~~ too much.

it was getting harder and harder to believe these lies.

* * *

“so…”

“yes?”

“when were you going to tell me that you’re boning the babysitter?”

“what the _fuck_ , sicheng!?”

“i’m just saying… the way you looked when yangyang mentioned him… doesn’t look very straight-bro-no-homo to me.”

“i don’t know if you’ve noticed but no one in the room is straight-bro-no-homo. it’s almost as if there was no way you could feel that vibe in there!”

“doesn’t change the fact that you got all dopey and happy when kunhang complimented hyuckie on his newly acquired american slang vocab. or when yangyang said that it’s all due to a special american. so, lover boy, anything you want to share with the audience?”

“fuck you. very, _very_ much.”

“no thanks.”

“ _ugh_!”

“now, how about you tell me about your little escapade with the babysitter.”

“you’re worse than taeyong! and there’s no escapade to talk about!”

“hm… not yet, you mean.”

* * *

it had occurred to him one night that, despite having been at the club where taeyong worked, he’d never seen johnny there. not in the back, where the dancers kept themselves busy while waiting to go on stage, not at the bar, trying to cool off with orange soda, not even in the pretentiously expensive looking bathrooms. sure, he saw photos of johnny performing, courtesy of taeyong, but never _actually_ _seen_ the man do so.

now, he wasn’t thinking about johnny in various degrees of nudity while dancing on a pole, thighs flexing beautifully under neon lights, skin covered in glitter and sweat, a leather harness wrapped securely around his chest, even more leather going round his thighs-- he wasn’t thinking about all _that_ because he was horny or anything like that! no! ten was a dancer himself, he was just… imagining johnny because… he wanted to judge the man’s abilities, yes!

and so, like any other gifted dancer who gave up on their dream, he mentioned it to johnny; right as the man was getting ready to leave after a tiring day of keeping donghyuck entertained for long enough so that ten could brainstorm in peace.

“you know, i’ve never seen you dance.” johnny looked up from where he was tying his shoes, an amused glint in his eyes. “i mean-- can you even dance? hah, you might be a performer and all but like… i’ve never _seen_ you do it, y’know? like do you _actually_ work with yongie or did he find you somewhere and just adopted you? not that you look like you’d lie about your job! taeyong just adopts people when he wants to… you know?”

“just say you want me to strip for you, tennie,” the man laughed, finally standing up. was he taller or was ten’s messed up brain hornier and more into their size difference than before? “you don’t have to beat around the bush. though, it’s cute when you get all nervous and babble.”

ten gasped. him? nervous? unheard of! at least in a world the babysitter he hired for his little sunflower wasn’t as hot as johnny. “you wish i were nervous, john,” he said, looking up at the man and trying his hardest not to blush. _why_ was he thinking about kabedoning johhny of all things possible?

johnny smiled back. leaning down to brush his lips over ten’s ear, he whispered, “oh, i think you already are,” before pressing a chaste kiss just under it. “i’ll see you friday. have a lovely father-son day with hyuckie tomorrow.” ten was left speechless as johnny reached for the door (not like it was hard, just half a step back and using his giant dangly arms to pull it open) when the _motherfucker_ turned around, and with unmatched nonchalance said, “oh, and ten? you can always come to the club to see me. i’ll even put on a show for you, darling.”

at a loss of words again, ten stared at the closed door in disbelief. he screamed in his head, so loud he was sure donghyuck could hear him from where he was watching cartoons.

he would _not_ go see johnny dance even if his life depended on it.

* * *

saturday night, he was sitting at the bar, waiting for johnny to come on stage so that he could _judge_ his dancing. nothing more, nothing less than giving johnny a full review, constructive criticism and all, like the good _friend_ he was.

there had already been a few dancers before johnny, and while ten enjoyed watching them, he was getting quite stiff in his seat. the non alcoholic drink he’d gotten was getting too watery and the lights were making his head hurt. all he wanted was for johnny to come out and do his lil’ dance so that then ten could go home.

just as he was about to turn around and talk the bartender’s ears off, the lights dimmed and the music quieted until only the bass could be felt through the speaker system. ten focused on the stage, intrigued by the change of atmosphere. not that he didn’t enjoy the rapid beats the others had danced to, but the slower, almost hedonistically sinful beat? _this_ was more up ten’s alley.

lo and behold, there he was. johnny suh, in all his glitter covered glory, swaying his hips as he walked towards the pole in the middle. ten’s eyes moved down johnny’s legs, taking the thick thighs in, mouth watering at the sight of tight shorts clinging to the very same thighs. he continued down, only to choke on his saliva. johnny was wearing heels. _actual_ motherfucking stripper heels. _what the flipping fucking fuck?_

mark his words: ten was going to die right there.

the music continued with the same slow beat, but even with its mellow seductiveness johnny still made the song his own, the melody a simple extension of his body. it was mesmerizing, to say the least. the way johnny moved, his body flowing as if through water, ten was simply enchanted by the beauty of his movement.

the dancer placed a hand on the pole, spinning around it so that the audience could get a better look at his never ending legs. he bended over and shook his ass teasingly. ten couldn’t focus on _anything_ but the way johnny’s ass looked like a whole five course meal in those shorts. johnny wasn’t even half way through the performance and ten was already close to risking it all and booking a private room just have the man all to himself.

johnny continued his dance, unaware of ten’s feverish stare. he didn’t use the pole as much as ten would’ve liked, instead fucking the living lights of the floor as if his life depended on it. he wasn’t one to complain, though. he could clearly see the flex of johnny’s legs and arms while he held his weight up and that was enough for ten to forget about the pain he felt when the pole remained forgotten after one more spin.

everything was a blur. ten didn’t even remember when he leaned forward on his stool, trying to get a better view at the dancer, nor when said dancer finished his performance and walked off the stage.

“so you totally don’t want to fuck johnny, huh?” jaehyun asked, breaking the reverie. he could feel how hot his face had gotten, and though he hated to admit it, he was indeed drooling like a dumbass after his son’s babysitter.

“oh, shut up, you ass! don’t sound so proud about being right for once in your life.”

“twice, actually,” jaehyun _giggled_ , pushing a strand of hair behind his ear. _what the fuck was that? a scene from a disney original movie from 2012?_ “the first one was when i actually asked taeyong out.”

ten gagged. “i hope, _nay_ , i pray you become impotent after that, jung!” jaehyun just laughed, like the asshole he was.

“he’s gonna be back on stage in like an hour. you’re gonna wait for him or do you wanna pretend you never had your gay awakening for him while watching him grind on a pole?”

“for your information, dear jaehyun, i had my gay awakening for john when i watched him cuddle hyuck for the first time. unlike you, i don't need years of pining just to realize my feelings.”

jaehyun shook his head at the elder’s words. “whatever you say, ten.”

he didn’t know why he still pretended to not be in love with johnny when his friends confronted him about it. they all knew of his feelings, sooner or later they all figured it out, so why was he trying to convince them otherwise?

there was a small voice in his head, sounding very much like kun’s, that told him he wasn’t trying to convince his friends, but himself. and honestly, kun was going to catch these hands if he didn’t stop snooping around inside his mind.

still, there wasn’t much he could do with how he acted. yes, he might be in love with johnny (in a pretty homo way; maybe not all the way homo yet, because he still had some self control, but he was near damn close to asking the man to move in and maybe sign the adoption papers for hyuck so they could become two gay dads raising a mildly evil sunflower) but that didn’t mean he was not going to fight tooth and nail to get his friends off his back with their stupid teasing. ten had a reputation as the one doing the teasing _and_ as a confident gay!

two hours later, after johnny had performed one more time, said man was finally coming over, having spotted ten at the bar during his second performance.

“so, adequate enough for you, my dear sir?”

“it was… fine.” ten scrunched his nose, seemingly uninterested in the glitter that was still covering johnny’s cheeks or in the way the man arched an eyebrow, clearly not buying the cheap act. next to him, jaehyun snickered in his hand.

johnny hummed, reaching somewhere behind ten. his hand rested on the shorter’s hip. _for balance,_ he had to remind himself before getting a boner right in front of his best friend and his not-crush. his breath was hot on ten’s ear. he was close, too close for it to be considered friendly.

“i think you’re a liar, tennie,” he whispered, before pulling back as if nothing happened. with a drink in his hand --most likely what he reached for-- johnny lifted the glass in a mocking salute. all ten wanted was for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. what the fuck was going _on_? “i think you quite liked it. or, is it you actually want a private show?”

ten scoffed and looked away from johnny’s burning gaze. “you wish.”

“i really do.”

eyes wide as saucers, ten’s head snapped to look at the blond. did he just say what ten thought he did? were they having a moment in a fucking strip club? oh lord, oh heavens above, oh jesus christ superstar, ten wasn’t ready for this new crisis.

johnny was supposed to be oblivious to his feelings! he wasn’t… he didn’t know ten liked him _like that_. whatever this dance they had going on was nothing more than teasing, playfully pretending to be in love. johnny didn’t like him back. he couldn’t. he was so out of ten’s league.

pretending not to have heard him, ten reached for his very much empty glass. even if it was still full, the virgin cocktail he had been drinking wouldn’t have helped him much. still, it gave him an excuse to pay attention to something else, rather than johnny and his stupid all knowing smirk.

“yeah, well, sucks to suck i guess.”

if ten were to look at johnny then, he would’ve seen the realization flashing on his face, before a look of hurt took its place. it was gone as quickly as it appeared, and when ten did indeed look up, he was only met with johnny’s easy smile. one that didn’t reach his eyes, but one nevertheless.

“want me to give you a ride home?” johnny asked, breaking the awkward silence that was building up. jaehyun was no longer paying them any mind, too enraptured by the dancer on stage. ten didn’t have to check to know that it was taeyong. after all, the two only had eyes for each other like the lovesick couple they were.

“if you don’t mind.”

“never, ten. at least not when it comes to you.”

placing the glass back on the bar, ten instinctively reached for johnny’s hand.

if he were a little bit observant, ten would have noticed the internal turmoil taking place inside johnny’s head. and if he were a little bit smarter, he might have just noticed the way johnny’s fingers squeezed around his hand or the way his hold made ten feel safe and sound.

but for what was worth, ten was dumb and blind and the universe was slowly getting sick of their little gay pining show.

* * *

they were all in the kitchen a few weeks later, trying to bake a chocolate cake to satisfy donghyuck’s sugar cravings, when johnny sneezed. and not a normal, _i inhaled too much cocoa powder_ type of sneeze, no; he sneezed exactly like a dad who’d been dealing with a cold for three years with zero chances of ever recovering. ten froze in his place, bag of flour hovering over the bowl, as he stared at johnny. even thanos, who was too busy sleeping near the preheating oven, lifted his head to look at the aggravating man.

no way did he let a sick man in his house.

as if to prove ten wrong, johnny sneezed again. and again. and one more time, just to make sure that he was spreading his germs around ten’s kitchen and on their cake and on... _hyuck_! his poor son who had the immunity system which could put even cheetahs on the list of the strong ones.

“hyuck! go to your room!” ten said, calmly, putting the flour down and already reaching for the kettle.

the boy whined, arms wrapping around johnny’s neck in faux sorrow, going as far as burying his face in the man’s neck and pretending to sob. ten raised a fucking dramatic child that was for sure. “but _daaaaaad_ ,” he began in english, something he’d picked up from johnny’s constant usage of the language, “i wanna stay with you and bake!”

ten stared at his son, then promptly glared at johnny. “you’re right, sunflower, _johnny_ should go to my room and not step out until he’s no longer spreading his germs and snot all over the house.” he reached over to take the young boy from johnny’s hold, eyes barely softening at the man’s whine. ten knew his son was cuddly and warm and nice to hug, but he would not allow anyone who was sick to be anywhere near him. and not even johnny ~~the love of his life~~ would get special treatment.

johnny would have protested, had he not started coughing. _how_ did he manage to not sneeze nor cough until then? especially when he sounded like a dying hyena anytime his body shook with another coughing fit. “i’m not sick,” he managed to say in the end.

“go,” ten said, using his _dad voice_ , thus leaving no more room for arguments. “you can write a complaint while you sulk in my bed. there are tissues on my bedside table, don’t you _dare_ wipe your nose on my comforter, or i swear to god, suh.”

“aye, aye, captain,” johnny replied with a roll of his eyes. only when he was out of the kitchen and the door to ten’s room closed with a soft noise, did ten put hyuck back on his stool. the boy looked up at his father, worry written all over his face. ten nodded, silently communicating with donghyuck.

after much debate on whether or not ten should let johnny die, the kettle goes off, signaling that he could start brewing the tea. donghyuck, while wearing the biggest shit eating grin a five year old could muster, passed him the jar of mint tea, holding it tightly in both of his tiny little hands. donghyuck always had a passion for people around him getting sick, because he knew it meant one thing: his appa not paying enough attention his way so that he could eat as much chocolate as he could.

almost ten minutes later, with the cake in the oven and donghyuck snacking on some of the leftover chocolate, the man was finally able to take the brewed tea into his room. without knocking, he entered the bedroom. there, in his bed, under his covers, using his tissues was none other than johnny _i’m not sick_ suh.

“so… not sick, huh?” ten asked, barely holding back a chuckle. the older man was trying (and failing) not to sneeze again, his body going tense under the blankets. it would have been adorable if johnny weren’t actually a walking and breathing hazard of germs. “i’ve made you tea and brought you some paracetamol. figured your head might be hurting.”

“‘m not...” johnny tried, his head peeking from underneath the layers of warmth. he groaned, the light clearly affecting him. “not sick,” he finished lamely, eyes unfocused on where ten stood, “just tired, is all.”

ten snorted but kept any comments to himself. it wasn’t worth fighting someone who could either bench press him or whine about how healthy they are just to make ten stop. walking over to the bedside table, he placed the mug and meds down and took a seat next to the human lump. with his head now hidden again, ten had to sneak his hands under the blanket to feel johnny’s forehead.

it was hot, as expected.

urging himself not to scold the older, he pulled his hand back, only to have johnny whine in protest. “don’t,” he babbled, pushing his head into ten’s palms, “it’s cold. ‘s nice.”

“not sick my ass,” ten muttered under his breath. “come on! out of your hiding spot, you have to take the meds and drink the leave juice.” peeking over the covers again, johnny scrunched his nose in distaste at the thought of having to drink the green tea ten always made. he didn’t mind brewing it for the younger, but drinking _that_? unheard of. and ten knew that, of course he did. he thought of johnny as his… very close friend, how could he _not_ know that the man hated green tea? so, while biting back a smile, he said, “it’s ginger and lemon tea, you heathen!”

mouth slightly agape, johnny stared at ten, as if not able to wrap his head around the idea of ten having more than just loose green leaves for tea. shaking his head at the obvious disrespect, ten finally lifted his hand off the older’s forehead.

“drink. or you won’t be able to leave this bedroom until i deem you healthy.”

“so never?”

“exactly, honey!”

johnny groaned and that was all ten needed to know that the tea will be finished in less than five minutes, depending on how well johnny can deal with a burnt tongue. ten stood up, walking over to the window. it started snowing, despite being the middle of november, and though normally both he and hyuck would be excited for the first snow, they knew that nursing johnny back to health was what mattered. he drew the courtains closed, not wanting the light to bother the sick man any further.

“take a nap, alright? i’ll make you some soup.”

“thanks, tennie,” johnny sighed, placing the cup back on the side table. he looked tired, more so than usual, and his skin was incredibly pale. if ten had given him more free time, johnny might not have gotten sick. after all, he can take care of donghyuck himself… he could bring him to the studio more if needed…

ten sighed softly, mirroring johnny. “don’t worry about it,” he smiled at the man, fondness spreading through his chest in tight waves at the sight before him. he didn’t deserve johnny, the man was too good for him. maybe he would talk with him about not coming over as often, taking care of himself more, becoming his sugar daddy just so that he wouldn’t exhaust himself with his already scarce club shifts. maybe johnny could just… help him take care of hyuck… hah, right, that’s stupid to think since he would never confess to… liking… johnny.

“sleep well, darling,” he whispered, but johnny was already out cold.

there was always another time for such talks anyway.

back in the living room, donghyuck was still munching on the chocolate, smears of it all over his face. he was playing with thanos, even as the dog tried to nap and ignore the child, his only interest being in the chocolate. ten quickly picked thanos up, taking him away from the sweets and letting him stay on the couch.

“appa?” hyuck asked once ten took a seat next to him, “will johnny-hyung be ok?”

“well, we will make him the tastiest and healthiest chicken soup and that will help him get back to normal!” he booped his son on the nose, smiling at the small giggle that escaped him.

“you mean we will call uncle yongie or uncle kun and ask them to come over to help?” god damn it, did his kid know his techniques. “can’t we just ask mom for her recipe? can mom come over? can she? can she bring wendy too?” the child gasped, “can we have a sleepover? once hyung feels better!”

oh, _how_ could he deny his baby that?

not even half an hour later, seulgi was letting herself in, grocery bags hanging from her arms, while wendy was close behind. ten would never admit it but he was jealous of wendy. she got his best friend, the mother of his child, a total _milf_ , while he got nothing but pain from pining after a possibly uninterested man. it was _torture_.

“so i’ve heard you got a strong case of sickness and useless homosexual around the house, sir!” seulgi gave him a mock salute, her arms flexing as she lifted the weight of the groceries with ease. “i’m here to help! your own, very personal and very capable lesbain mom!”

“i already regret calling you over,” ten groaned, but in spite of his words, he still reached for the bags, taking them from seulgi’s hands as she took her shoes off.

“sure you do, twinkie-pie!”

 _breathe in, breathe out, just how baekhyun thought me_.

“can you just make the soup and go?” he quickly turned to wendy, who was already next to donghyuck, playing with the boy. “not you, wendy, you’re always welcome in our home!”

she looked up from the game donghyuck was downloading on her phone, her blond hair falling in her eyes. she looked just like johnny, soft, cuddly, the opposite of seulgi _and_ ten. _oh_ , this was such a stupid joke, god. “thanks, ten,” she smiled. _how_ come they both ended up having the same type in partners and people to _simp_ over?

“you should be more like your girlfriend, seul,” ten said, leaving the woman behind as he made a beeline to the kitchen. he placed the bags on the table, cursing when he noticed his fingers were already red and hurting.

“and you should be more like your boyfriend…” seulgi let the words hang in the air as she slapped him over his head as she passed him. the apron was already tied around her waist. “oh wait, you don’t have one. or, do you? maybe one who is in your bedroom? and who’s sick? and who just so happens to be hyuckie’s babysitter?” she didn’t even let ten defend himself, continuing to _accuse_ him, “i still can’t believe you never thought of introducing the one who is taking care of hyuck! he’s my son too, you dumbass, i should know who is taking care of both of you!”

still scared of sitting next to the woman while she was holding a knife, ten decided to fill up the pot where they will make the soup. “well you’re busy and i don’t want to ask you over just to check if every babysitter is fit for the job. i know how to deal with them if they’re not qualified. i--”

“you stab them a hundred times and then feed their remains to the dogs, yes, you edgelord, you kept saying that whenever wendy tried to get close to hyuck.”

“anyway, i made sure johnny will be a good influence on him. and besides, tae recommended him. you know i trust him with my life.”

seulgi stopped chopping the vegetables to look at him. he could see the worry in her eyes, but she rapidly adverted her gaze. “i trust you ten, you know i do. but are you sure he’s… i’m not saying he’s not a good babysitter, i have no clue about that… i mean, you know i want you to find someone, right?” ten rolled his eyes, pushing the woman aside and taking the knife from her hands. “i mean it! you’ve been single for ages now and we both know it’s not because you’re too busy being a dad.”

“how big do you want me to chop the pepper? like tiny squares or just go apeshit crazy, small budget horror film on them?”

“i can’t believe hyuck is the most mature one in this household…”

the kitchen door slips open, but neither of them look up from their current tasks. ten didn’t even react to the arms wrapping around him, nor to the chin resting on top of his head. seulgi, on the other hand, looked both smug and unimpressed at the display of affection from clifford the big red dog.

what happened to giving johnny a break and putting space between them and _not_ giving into these feelings? why was he cuddling him if he wanted to ignore everything? _lord_ , was he stupid.

"do you feel any better?" he asked, putting the knife aside and moving so that he was facing johnny. standing on his tippy toes, he put his forehead on johnny’s, careful of not getting his hands on the man’s clothes. “your fever is still high… maybe you should take another pill, take a nap in the living room? chat with wendy, she’ll put you to sleep with her soothing voice.”

akin to an owl, johnny groaned, “who?” before looking over to where seulgi was obviously staring at them, a knowing glint in her eyes and a bigger smirk on her face. “who is that, tennie?”

“ _that_ ,” ten snickered, “is donghyuck’s mother. seulgi, johnny. johnny, seulgi.” feeling the older man’s arms tighten around his waist, ten slapped his hand lightly. “ _behave_.”

of course, johnny, like the alpha male he considered himself to be, growled at seulgi, possessiveness dripping from his voice like honey, “ _mine_.” and had ten not been more mature in this situation he would have gotten turned on. but because he was the braincell wielder for the day, he had to scold johnny for acting like an animal in front of his baby mama.

just as he was about to send johnny into time out (preferably back in bed, with more tea and more medicine in his body) the man leaned in and promptly gave ten a smooch, a short lived kiss that made his whole face color with the brightest red. _what the fuck_? did johnny just kiss him? did they just have their first kiss while johnny was sick and his ex-something was silently laughing her ass off? did they just kiss during the first snow of the year… oh _jesus_ and everything holy above, ten was about to _die_.

“ok, loverboy! off to sleep you go! c’mon.” ten clapped, grabbing johnny’s attention. he looked so out of it, not even realizing what he just did. ten would be lying if he said it wasn’t at least a little bit cute.

five minutes later, after having dragged johnny’s whole weight to his bedroom and a few more questions, this time about wendy’s presence near _his sunflower_ , ten finally came back to the kitchen.

“will you ever actually talk with him about what just happened?”

ten looked at the vegetable scraps on his cutting board, at seulgi, then back to them. “probably not. he wasn’t in his right mind, seul, he probably just did something… stupid. because that’s what he is. a stupid man who doesn’t care for himself enough and gets sick and has an equally stupid employer nurse him back to health. that’s all this is.”

“sure it is, baby boy. whatever your heart desires.”

and with that, she dropped the subject and began talking his ears off about how cute donghyuck and wendy would look in matching flower sweaters.

* * *

once seulgi and wendy left and donghyuck finally fell asleep, ten found himself awake, unable to find any rest. their couch had never been comfortable enough to sleep on and the guest bedroom/office was too messy for him to reach the bed without causing havoc.

so the uncomfortable couch it was.

near two in the morning, when he was deciding on whether to just call it quits and go make himself some coffee and work on new designs, the bedroom door opened quietly, and out came johnny, looking better than before. he silently watched as the man walked over to where he was and before ten could tell johnny to _not_ throw himself in his arms, johnny did exactly that.

it took everything in ten to not cuddle the man, lest his head was still foggy from the meds. but that wasn’t something he could run away from. not when johnny made himself comfortable on top of ten, his face buried in between ten’s shoulder and neck. the taller’s face was still warm, but it was nothing compared to before. “yes?” ten wheezed out in the end, after johnny had pushed his face even further in the little space.

“you’re comfy,” the man sighed, “comfier than your bed.”

ten chuckled. “highly doubt that, honey. do you perhaps just want to cuddle?” the slight nod was all he needed. ten pushed the man off easily, before standing and picking johnny up along. he sent a quick thank you thought to lucas for making him work out enough to be able to lift someone twice his weight.

in his arms, johnny was staring at him in awe, a pretty blush dusted over his cheeks. ten blamed it on the sickness and not on whatever unnamed strength kink the man might have. in a moment of emptiness in his head, ten leaned down, and just how johnny pecked his lips earlier, he pressed a quick kiss to the blond’s forehead. when he pulled back, johnny’s eyes were half closed, looking at ten with such intensity that the younger felt his knees buckle. oh lord, they were going to fall because johnny was giving him bedroom eyes and ten was a horny motherfucker.

“ten,” johnny broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper. ten hummed, not trusting himself to speak without stuttering. “i think i like you a lot…”

“i like you too, johnny! you’re a great person and--”

“in a very, very strictly romantic way,” the blond finished, his gaze fixed on ten’s face. oh, well… that was unexpected for sure. right, he was waiting for a reaction from him.

“erm… are you still sick?” great going, ten, now he was going to take this as a rejection. “i mean! you still are, of course, because it’s only been a few hours. though time is relative and more or less a hoax and who knows, with how things have been going lately! anyway, since you’re sick i won’t kiss you! because… i mean, you did kiss me because you’re monkey brained but… what i’m trying to say is--”

johnny laughed. “ten.”

“yes?”

“i get it. i want you to kiss me too but maybe we should just sleep first.”

ten flushed red at the words. “right… let’s sleep.” he didn’t move from the hallway, feet glued to the ground. again, johnny laughed at his idiocy. “shut up, i’m trying to tell my brain we have to move.”

he really was in love with a man who bullied him! what did ten do to deserve this?

in his room, he dropped johnny on the bed without a care and threw himself over the man, making sure to elbow stab his stomach. he would get revenge for how he got squished tonight even if it were the last thing he’d do. johnny, like the giant golden retriever he was, wrapped himself around ten, not caring for a moment that ten was struggling to breathe.

“so,” he began, pressing a kiss onto ten’s head, “boyfriends? toxic boss-employee relationship? your new baby daddy? are you my own personal dilf now?”

ten bit his lip, holding back giggles. pulling johnny closer, he said, “i want a refund, i think my boyfriend is broken.”

“too bad you’re now stuck with me, buddy.”

“i hate you.”

johnny squeezed his waist, before his hand went lax again and continued to stroke ten’s skin. “sure you do. now go sleep, it’s late.”

and if in the morning ten woke up with a runny nose and his son and boyfriend both using him as their personal teddy bear, he wasn’t even a bit mad. not even when a few hours later donghyuck himself was sneezing left and right, scaring thanos with each shriek. they could just be sick together, like the little family they were.

* * *

there had to be something wrong with johnny. the man was broken, for sure. he’d been staring at ten for god knows how many minutes now and frankly, ten was getting sick of the unwanted attention (he wasn’t, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t confused by it).

“is there something on my face, dude?” he asked, looking over his mug of tea. they were in the cafe where taeyong and jaehyun first told him about johnny, and just like back then, jaehyun was off to chase donghyuck while taeyong and ten watched them fondly from their seat. the only now was that johnny was with them as well.

“yeah,” johnny took a bite of his cookie to hide his smirk, “beauty.” he even had the _audacity_ to wink at ten, as if he didn’t just use one of the lamest lines known to humankind.

ten, already used to it by now, ignored him, though his cheeks turned red at the cheesiness his boyfriend hit him with. taeyong, on the other hand, all but choked on his food.

“ _what_? do _not_ ,” he threatened ten with his fork, “tell me you two got together!”

ten shrugged, “surprise?”

“oh _for fuck’s sake_ , ten! couldn’t you wait until christmas? i was gonna steal everyone’s money!” taeyong whined, melting in his chair to show his dissatisfaction.

ah, his friends really knew how to make him feel loved. almost as much as johnny did, whenever he just existed near him, filter completely turned off, stupid jokes and cheesy compliments flying left and right.

ten relaxed, snuggling close to johnny as taeyong continued to complain about the lack of finesse in helping your best friend make a fuckton of money. he could see jaehyun apologizing to an elderly couple for donghyuck trying to steal their dog somewhere in the background. he felt johnny’s hand moving up his thigh.

maybe he could help taeyong win the money. in the end, he did bring them together.

**Author's Note:**

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